[plug] Linux-based ISPs and TCO

[levsky at rave.iinet.net.au]

On Sat, Apr 05, 2003 at 11:10:59PM +0800, Leon Brooks wrote:
> I went through iiNet on their last open day (and have two of their handout 
> bottle-openers to prove it if anyone wants one), and saw a lady using PINE in 
> a PuTTY window on her Windows box talking to a Linux server - resisting 
> pressure from management and peers to switch to Outlook. I also saw one 
> web-developer in an adjoining office, pointedly using a full-screen Linux 
> session and screen(1) on the Windows box he was forced by office policy to 
> use.

To be fair though, iiNet's desktop network is almost the only thing that is
run on Windows in the entire organisation - the server network is almost 100%
Debian, with a couple of legacy redhat boxes, one or two solaris boxes, and
a non-critical 2k server or two for game servers and as the domain controller.
And that's how it's going to remain.  Cost and available expertise aside,
we generally like having the ability to go right back to the source to fix
those really weird quirky problems.  In fact, iiNet probably has less
non-linux/bsd on its production network than almost any ISP I've seen,
and I've seen a fair few now.

The arguments for having a common desktop environment in terms of 
manageability are well known - and although I was one of the "you can
have my linux box when you pry it from my cold dead hands" fraternity, if
there has to be a single desktop environment in such an organisation, windows
almost has to be it.  Things such as custom (windows only) pabx display
and management software, the convenience of using the same operating system
as 90% of your callers when doing support and so on, really do make windows
a logical choice for the support guys - who make up about 60% of the 
organisation as it is.

For us developers and administrators, in reality all we do is ssh into
development and/or live servers.  It means that I can't do development on
my own machine any more, but it also means that we've got a consistent
development environment.  Windows performs adequately as a dumb terminal :)
Cygwin with windowmaker gives me an ergonomically pleasant environment to 
work in. Of course, when I'm working from home, it's linux desktop all the way

-- 
The good Christian should beware of mathematicians and all those who make
empty prophecies. The danger already exists that mathematicians have made
a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and confine man in the
bonds of Hell. -  St Augustine